Abstract Claims Description Full Text

Claims

I claim:

1. A collapsible wheeled carrier for normally rollably transporting articles, comprising:

a) A main frame including a pair of laterally spaced elongated members;

b) a bottom frame structure joined to said main frame and with said main frame defining a nacelle within which articles to be transported may be retained; and

c) a pair of wheel assemblies pivotally mounted on said main frame and detachably engageable to said bottom frame structure to retain said wheel assemblies normally in position of use and selectively detachable therefrom to enable pivotal displacement of said wheel assemblies to collapsed positions of disuse for storage or transport of said wheeled carrier;

d) each said wheel assembly of said pair thereof including a bearing sleeve pivotally mounted on an associated one of said elongated side members, a gusset structure secured to said pivotal bearing sleeve and pivotal therewith about said associated side member, a bifurcated fork fixed to said gusset structure on the end thereof remote from said bearing sleeve, a wheel/tire assembly detachably mounted on said bifurcated fork, and means on each said gusset structure adjacent said bifurcated fork thereon for detachable engagement with said bottom frame structure to retain said wheel assemblies in position of use.

2. The collapsible wheeled carrier according to claim 1, wherein said gusset structure is triangular having a base welded to said bearing sleeve and an apex end remote therefrom, said means on each gusset structure for detachable engagement with said bottom structure comprising a threaded rotatable flange, and complementarily threaded bosses on said bottom frame structure selectively engageable by said threaded rotatable flanges.

3. A collapsible wheeled carrier for normally rollably transporting articles, comprising:

a) a main frame including a pair of laterally spaced elongated side members;

b) a bottom frame structure joined to said main frame and with said main frame defining a nacelle within which articles to be transported may be retained; and

c) a pair of wheel assemblies pivotally mounted on said main frame and detachably engageable to said bottom frame structure to retain said wheel assemblies normally in position of use and selectively detachable therefrom to enable pivotal displacement of said wheel assemblies to collapsed positions of disuse for storage or transport of said wheeled carrier;

d) said bottom frame structure comprising a pair of chassis frames conjoined medianly of said main frame and extending in the direction of opposite ends of said elongated side members; and

e) each of said chassis frames possessing a trapezoidal configuration sharing a common base rail, and side rails on each chassis frame converging from said base rail toward an end rail remote from said base rail.

4. A collapsible wheeled carrier for normally rollably transporting articles, comprising:

a) a main frame including a pair of laterally spaced elongated side members;

b) a bottom frame structure joined to said main frame and with said main frame defining a nacelle within which articles to be transported may be retained; and

c) a pair of wheel assemblies pivotally mounted on said main frame and detachably engageable to said bottom frame structure to retain said wheel assemblies normally in position of use and selectively detachable therefrom to enable pivotal displacement of said wheel assemblies to collapsed positions of disuse for storage or transport of said wheeled carrier;

d) said bottom frame structure comprising a pair of chassis frames conjoined medianly of said main frame and extending in the direction of opposite ends of said elongated side members;

e) said pair of chassis frames sloping away from their conjoined union medianly of said main frame and diverging from said main frame in the direction of opposite ends of said elongated side members.

5. A collapsible wheeled carrier for normally rollably transporting articles, comprising:

a) a main frame including a pair of laterally spaced elongated side members;

b) a bottom frame structure joined to said main frame and with said main frame defining a nacelle within which articles to be transported may be retained;

c) a pair of wheel assemblies pivotally mounted on said main frame and detachably engageable to said bottom frame structure to retain said wheel assemblies normally in position of use and selectively detachable therefrom to enable pivotal displacement of said wheel assemblies to collapsed positions of disuse for storage or transport of said wheeled carrier;

d) said bottom frame structure including a base rail extending transverse to and below said main frame, and said pair of wheel assemblies are normally detachably secured to opposite ends of said base rail when in position of use; and

e) threaded bosses are provided on opposite ends of said base rail, and complementarily threaded rotatable flanges are provided on said wheel assemblies selectively engageable with said threaded bosses to detachably retain said wheel assemblies in position of use and selectively detachable from said threaded bosses to effect collapse of said carrier.

6. A collapsible wheeled carrier for normally rollably transporting articles, comprising:

a) a main frame including a pair of laterally spaced elongated side members;

b) a bottom frame structure joined to said main frame and with said main frame defining a nacelle within which articles to be transported may be retained; and

c) a pair of wheel assemblies pivotally mounted permanently on said main frame and detachably engageable to said bottom frame structure to retain said wheel assemblies normally in postion of use and selectively detachable therefrom to enable pivotal displacement of said wheel assemblies to collapsed positions of disuse for storage or transport of said wheeled carrer;

d) said bottom frame structure including a base rail extending transverse to and below said main frame, and said pair of wheel assemblies normally detachably secured to opposite ends of said base rail when in position of use.

7. The collapsible wheeled carrier according to claim 6, wherein said main frame comprises a generally rectangular quadrilateral, and integral extensions of said laterally spaced elongated side members constitute handles to facilitate manipulation of the carrier.

8. The collapsible wheeled carrier according to claim 6, wherein said bottom frame structure comprises a pair of chassis frames conjoined medianly of said main frame and extending in the direction of opposite ends of said elongated side members.